"Super Scooper" based at South Lake Tahoe airport

The final celebrity jets were taking off from South Lake Tahoe Tuesday, just as the U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) welcomed in a Bombardier CL415 firefighting aircraft.

Nicknamed "Super Scooper" because it can scoop up 1,600 gallons of water from a lake and drop it on the front lines of a fire.

The plane and its crew will support fire fighting efforts not only in Lake Tahoe but wherever it is needed. Being the only one in the United States, it can be called away at a moment's notice to help fight fires in other states. But, home base will be South Lake Tahoe.

"The USFS has been working on this since March," said Jeff Marsolais, LTBMU Forest Supervisor. "Given the drought conditions we are a central location."

The CL 415 is contracted to the USFS. It holds two pilots, two mechanics and one flight manager. Kevin Merrill, the national amphibious aircraft manager for the U.S. Forestry Service, was at the airport leading tours for the media. He said the pilots that fly it are highly skilled since they not only have to know how to fly a plane, they also need to be trained in amphibious operations.

The plane cannot land above 10,000 ft but it can pull out water from local lakes 8,000 ft in elevation and below. So far, the USFS has certified Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake as being sources of water in case of an emergency. There is one more local lake in the works but it hasn't been identified yet.

It takes just 20 seconds to pull enough water into the plane to fill up the two large tanks. It can be reloaded on a lake six feet deep but it is preferred to be ten feet according to Merrill.

The CL415 doesn't need much ground equipment to operate so it can go almost anywhere. All it needs is water. It can hold chemicals but the USFS prefers to use just water to fight fires.

Look for the plane at the airport through the summer, at least. USFS has a five year contract to have it at their disposal.